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to our readers. They ought to be found in all school libraries for the teachers; in all reading societies; and in the hands of all individuals who can afford them.

The volume before us is well conceived and carefully executed. The historical sketches extend from the time of Wicklif almost to our own times, and consist, under the somewhat sentimental headings which appear in the advertisement, and which are so much in vogue just now, of sufficiently full and living pictures of men and things, quite worthy of more intelligible titles. The writer has personally visited the scenes of the great and interesting events which he describes, and gives much reality and life to his sketches by having done so. But the great merit of the book is its candour. No churchman (except worshipers of St. Charles the Perjured, and St. Laud, the cruelest and meanest of bigots) could object to the temper and spirit of the writer. Equally will many Dissenters, who have been accustomed to an indiscriminate and unreflecting admiration of the opinions and conduct of the Puritans, feel that the serious deductions to be made from their consistency are justly made.

In no respect is the writer's candour more distinctively apparent than in the place which he assigns to the Baptists. We do not remember a single instance previously of one of our Independent brethren placing the Baptists in the van of Anti-StateChurchmen. He has completely (though tacitly of course) put an end to the false representations of Dr. Massie and others about the views of the Independents in the Westminster Assembly, and the noble words falsely attributed by the Doctor to Philip Nye,-a mistake which Dr. Massie never publicly recanted. Our readers will be pleased with the extract which is to be found amongst our "Miscellaneous."

NOTES AND SKETCHES OF BIBLE LESSONS,
WITH NOTES, GEOGRAPHICAL AND EXPLAN-
ATORY; TO WHICH ARE ADDED, HINTS
TO TEACHERS, AND A COPIOUS LIST OF
SUBJECTS FOR BIBLE LESSONS.
HENRY TAYLOR. Pp. 268.
Longman and Co.

By GEO. London:

We are glad to see that the author of this excellent work agrees with us as to the importance of so picturing the Bible narrative, in lessons for the young, that they shall realize the fact in all its details, and almost see it passing before their eyes. We are convinced that the great deficiency of

many teachers of children, and a great cause of their want of success in interesting their little auditors, is, that they do not exert themselves to produce this picturing, or are incompetent to do it; and, on the other hand, no teacher is ever so successful,-none can so interest or affect children, as he who, having realized the fact in all its completeness himself, having indeed pictured it before the eye of his own mind, is able to present it to his class so that they too can realize it,can imagine themselves, in fact, surrounded by the scenes, and watching one after another the events, which the narrative embodies. The great merit of the volume before us is, that it is calculated to aid in this task. The writer selects about sixty of the most striking narratives both in the Old and the New Testaments, and presents them, in many instances very beautifully, with all the information requisite for their illustration, and with the lessons both of doctrine and practice they are calculated to teach. If we could extract one or two of the lessons, our readers would see how well the author has succeeded in catching the spirit of the passages he has selected for his purpose. As it is, we trust many of those to whom the volume would be useful, will procure it, on our recommendation, for themselves. We need not add, that to be of much use, the outlines will need to be carefully studied, and our own opinion is, notwithstanding a suggestion of the author which seems to imply the contrary, that the book should be used only in previous preparation, and on no account produced in the class.

THE BIBLE THE FRIEND OF THE POOR. BY THE REV. T. POTTENGER. Pp. 24. London: Benjamin L. Green. Another of Mr. Pottenger's excellent Tracts. It conclusively shews that the Bible is not the book which some of its foes have chosen to represent it; and it is, therefore, suitable to put into the hands of those who may have been led to dislike or despise the Bible. We cordially recommend this little tract, and wish it an extensive circulation.

Recent Publications.

Green's Illustrated Almanack for 1852. Price One Penny. Our friends who have had this Almanack before, will, we are sure, be glad to see it again.

The Baptists' Almanac for 1852. a Sheet. Price One Penny. Houlston and Stoneman.)

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(London:

A Page for the Young.

TO YOUNG CHILDREN.

A NEW YEAR'S ADDRESS, BY THE EDITOR.
My dear Children,

We have often spoken to you in
this magazine, by tales and pieces suitable
to you, and often imagined when the first
of the month arrived, that the little folk of
the families into which it came, were asking
their fathers and mothers whether there
was a "nice piece for them." This time
we thought we would say a few words to
you (the younger of you especially) our-
selves. The writer is a father of a little
family, now of four, till the 5th of last
December, of five children, and, like most
fathers, he feels a love for all children; and
what made him think of writing to you is,
that on that day he lost a dear little boy,
whom he and mamma loved very much,
and who was just seven years old last
October. Yes, on the morning of the 5th
of December, he woke about five o'clock,
and just after breakfast fell quietly asleep
in death, his kind little eyes never to open
again on earth, till the day of Resurrection.
He had been very weak indeed just before,
but none of us thought he would die when
he did; we thought he might live in weak-
ness many weeks, or months, and, possibly,
longer. So true it is, dear children, that
we never know at what an hour God may
see fit to call us to himself. No; we
never know when we shall die; we do not
often think of it; but when we hear of
another dear child's death, should we not
remember, I too may die soon as well as
he? Yes, you may, my dear child. Another
new year you may never live to see. Let
it not make you sad. The blessed Saviour
loves children: when they love him, he
takes them to his bosom if they die, and
then they are happy indeed! You remem-
ber how he took them in his arms, and
blessed them. My dear little boy was very
fond of those true and pretty lines-
"I think, when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,

How he called little children as lambs to his fold,
I should like to have been with him then:

I wish that his hands had been placed on my head,
That his arms had been thrown around me,

And that I might have seen his kind look when he
said,

'Let the little ones come unto me.'"

Well, he sees those kind looks now; and so may you, dear children.

Young children, indeed, are sinful, as well as grown-up people. Children too often like to have their own way, and rebel against the parents whom God has given them to love and obey; and this is a sad sin. Jesus never did this. And children are often selfish, and peevish, and cross to one another: these, too, are sad sins. Jesus was never guilty of them. Will he then love us, if we do such things? I think I hear you say. Jesus cannot love such unlovely tempers-that is certain; but still he loves you, for he is quite willing to forgive you; and, what is best of all, he is

quite willing to hear your humble prayers, and to put better, kinder tempers into your hearts. God heard our prayers for our dear boy, and heard his own childish prayers too; for when he was quite young, he would not knowingly grieve his parents, and was very grieved himself if he did do it unintentionally. We cannot remember his disobeying us; and he was so affectionate and kind, that, as his uncle, at whose house he died, observed, "he loved everybody, and you could not help loving him."* In his dying sickness and pain, he felt quite sure that his Saviour felt for him; and I do not wonder at it, for he would never grieve him if he knew it, and he loved to read and hear of him. Nor was he only always good himself, but tried to keep the others so too, and has often been overheard talking to them for that purpose. A good child should be a very happy child. Our Charley was one of the merriest, happiest children on earth: even when he was lying on a little couch on the floor, the place he preferred, not able to move a member of his body, he was not only patient, but when the fits of pain left him, quite cheerful and happy. His kind uncle, who was a doctor, used frequently

One of his favourite books was that pretty one which all childreu should read, "A Kiss for a Blow.. He read in it just before his death, the book lying over him on a little wire frame. He said, if he got well he should write some of it. I read to him also "Fanny's Dream," before it was printed (sae page 23), and it was one of the last things he talked of.

to say, what a patient little sufferer he was, and patience you know, is like Christ. How patient was He when He suffered such a cruel death on the Cross, that our sins might be forgiven! Much do I wish that all my dear children may, in these things, be like our dear Charles,-and as much do I wish that all you, dear children to whom I write, may be like him too; obedient, kind, and happy: obedient to God and parents, kind to every one, happy in your own hearts (as good children well may be). What can be better? We are very sorry to lose our sweet little boy; every one is sorry; all the other children are sorry, for they loved him, as well as he them, and were very, very kind to him whilst he lay helpless and ill; we are sorry, but we are glad too, for we are sure he is now so happy with the dear Saviour whom he loved, and whom he was (for a sinful child) so much like. His father and uncle covered him up in his little coffin, where he lay, as in a cradle, almost smiling. His parents, uncle and aunt, and cousins, then read the parts of Scripture which tell us of a happy resurrection, and prayed together; then a few of us who loved him carried him and laid him in silence in his quiet grave in a green churchyard close by; there we left him till the Resurrection morning, and returned home to thank God again for all his love and mercy to our dear child and to us.

Dear, dear children, do you wish, if you should die before your dear parents, that they should rejoice in your happiness, while they can but mourn to lay you in the grave? then you, too, must love your Saviour; and how easy should that be, when he loves you so! and you must grieve to offend him, and pray to him to keep you from evil tempers, and to make you like him. A child who loves Jesus, will be a man or woman who loves Jesus, if spared to grow up. And all who love Jesus must be happy, both now and for ever.

FANNY'S NEW YEAR'S DREAM.

Fanny was, on the whole, a good child, about twelve years of age; old enough, therefore, not only to understand very well what a child ought to do, but also to know the reasons of the duties taught her by her parents. On Christmas day all her brothers and sisters, who lived away from home, had come together to enjoy a family meet

ing, and a happy one it was. Her sisters, coming home from school, however, and her brothers from their different situations, made her recollect that she, too, must soon enter upon a life away from her dear parents' sight; and the tales told her by her brothers and sisters of what they had met with, shewed her very plainly that she would find more evil young friends ready to lead her astray, than good ones to encourage her in the ways her parents taught her. On New Year's Day, too, she was herself to leave home to stay with a kind aunt, and from thence to go to a school in the town. Her young head being full of all these things, she lay long awake the last night of the year, talking of them with her sisters, who slept with her; till at length she fell asleep, and dreamed.

The

She had read, I suppose, the Pilgrim's Progress, for she dreamed she had been guided a long way in the road to the Celestial City by her parents, but she knew not how, all of a sudden, she missed her parents, and it was just where the road parted into two, which ran so near one another for a long way, that it seemed hardly possible to say which was the straight one. place was pleasant, so she sat down and thought her parents would soon come and look for her. While she sat, however, she seemed to see some wonderful things. One road she saw soon became very smooth and pleasant, looked more like a long pleasant meadow than a road, as far as her eyes could reach, and all the way along boys were playing at all sorts of games, kites, cricket, riding, and every sort of possible amusement; the girls were also playing about the meadows, gathering flowers, romping with each other, with abundance of toys of every kind a girl could wish, and very merry they all seemed. In the other road the children were playing too, but they were playing and working by turns. She could see them in one part of the road all busily engaged with lessons and work, and in a following part all most merrily at play; then, further on, they were at work again, then at play, as far as her eyes could

see.

While she was looking at these things, sitting upon a large stone, suddenly she saw a pair of children, about her own age, coming along each road towards her. Each pair of children, a boy and a girl, were nicely dressed; but those who came down the first road much more finely and gaily

than the others, whose clothes were pretty and neat. Each pair of children carried a flag between them, which waved prettily in the pleasant breeze, and they stopped and looked kindly at Fanny. She first looked at their beautiful flags. On one was printed, in gilded letters,

Mirth and pleasure,
Without measure:

Come, come with us!

Frolic and play,

The whole long day:

Come, come with us!

She looked up then at the other flag, on which was written, in blue letters on a white ground,

First work, then play, 'Tis the happiest way: Come, come with us! When lessons are done, How pleasant is fun: Come, come with us!

She then, all at once, saw a direction-post in each of the roads, just where the children stood, and on each direction-post was printed, "The happy way for 1852."

Little Fanny was wondering much at all these things, when the pair of children from the first road came up to her, and began to tell her of the pleasures and amusements they would find all the year long in the road they came from; they pointed to the companions they left,-shewed her that there were no tiresome lessons, no knitting and sewing, and household little jobs;-while, in the other road, she would be plagued half her time with all sorts of dull jobs. Fanny looked again along the road, and it did seem very pleasant, and she thought it must be very pleasant to do nothing but play. But soon the other pair came up, and looking first somewhat seriously at the others, they turned to Fanny too, and asked when she had enjoyed herself most, was it when she had done nothing useful all day? or was it when she had done her lessons well, and had tried to be as useful as she could to mamma? and were

not her play and pleasure ten times sweeter and more pleasant after she had done work well, than when she had been idle day after day, till she got tired with every amusement? Fanny soon recollected herself; she remembered how happy she had always been, when she had first done all mamma had set her.

But while she was musing, one of the second pair of children handed her a beautiful little spying glass: "look through this," said the child, "along both these ways;" Fanny looked, and soon she saw that many of the children in the first road looked already tired with their toys and games, and were quarreling with one another, and all was not happiness by a good deal; but she turned almost pale when she saw at the further end of the road horrible sights which appeared to be like the flames of hell, and the evil spirits there; she turned the glass, her little hand yet shaking for terror, along the other road, and there all was really happy. The children were doing their work with pleasure, when play was over, and heartily enjoying their play again when work was over; and when she looked to the end of the way she saw the delightful beams of the Celestial City, which she had read of in the Pilgrim's Progress, which made her little countenance quite bright again.

Fanny awoke, and, behold, the first light of New Year's Day, 1852, was shining upon her eyes. Fanny was pleased with her dream; she thought it was a message from God; she first kneeled down and prayed to God to help her through the year, to choose the path of duty rather than that of pleasure, that the good Shepherd might guide her as one of his lambs when she was out of her parents' sight, and that he would conduct her safely, at last, to the Celestial City. She told her dear parents of her dream when she came down, and they, too, prayed earnestly to God to keep their child, through life, in the ways of pleasantness, and the paths of peace.

Miscellaneous.

A FAMILY IN HEAVEN.-A family united in heaven! It is possible that there may be such an eternal union. It is not necessary that religion should make an eternal separation. There is nothing in the nature of Christianity which naturally and

necessarily demands this. There is no such adaptation of the Gospel to one member or portion of a family only, as to make such a result inevitable: there is no restricting of the offer of salvation to the father, the mother, or to one of the chil

dren of the family; there is no limitation of the efficacy of the atonement which makes it impossible that the blood which saves one should save all; there is no such circumscribing of the power of the Holy Spirit that he can renew and sanctify only a portion of the family. The blood which has been sprinkled on one heart may cleanse all; the same Spirit that has renewed and sanctified the father or mother is able to renew and sanctify each child; and the same grace of the Gospel which prepared that loved and lovely sister, who has been taken from you to walk by the side of the river of life in white raiment, can prepare you also to join with her and walk arm in arm on those shady banks. Look upwards to yonder heaven. See there your smiling babe. It stretches out its hands and invites you. "Come, father, mother-come, sister, brother," is its sweet sound, "come and take the water of life." A whole family united in religion-what a spectacle of beauty on earth! A family lying side by side in their graves, to be united again in the same blessed resurrection, what a spectacle for angels to look down upon with interest! A whole family united in heaven, who can describe their everlasting joys! Not one is absent. Nor father nor mother, nor son nor daughter, are away. In the world below they were united in faith, and love, and peace, and joy. In the morning of the resurrection they ascend together. Before the throne they bow together in united adoration. On the banks of the river of life they walk hand in hand, and as a family they have commenced a career of glory which shall be everlasting. There is to be hereafter no separation in that family. No one is to lie down on a bed of pain. No one is to wander away into temptation. No one is to sink into the arms of death. Never in heaven is that family to move along in the slow procession, clad in the habiliments of woe, to consign one of its members to the tomb. God grant of his infinite mercy that every family may be thus united!Rev. Albert Barnes, Author of the Commentary.

BAPTISTS AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY."So far was the generality, even of men of the most expanded minds, from apprehending the true principles of religious freedom at this period, that Milton himself, though a noble defender of religious toleration in general, places exceptions to its universal extension, and regards Romanism and Idolatry as not to be comprised in its benefits. The exceptions taken in those days excite our regret rather than our wonder. Sir Harry Vane, taught by Roger Williams, appears to have been the only one in the assembly who asserted anything like consistent sentiments. He pleaded for a 'full libertie of conscience to all religions,' and opposed the clause which required subscription to the covenant before ordination. To the Anabaptists, as they were then termed, the high praise is due, that at this period and before it, they had been clear in

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the principle, that it is not only unmerci. ful, but unnatural and abominable, yea, monstrous, for one christian to vex and destroy another for difference on questions of religion.' They asked again, Whether it be not better for us that a patent were granted to monopolize all the cloth and corn, and to have it measured out unto us, at their price and pleasure, which were yet intolerable, as for some men to appoint and measure out to us what and how much we shall believe and practise in matters of religion ?' 'If the magistrate must punish errors in religion, whether it does not impose a necessity that the magistrate have a certainty of knowledge in all intricate cases? And whether God calls such to that place whom he hath not furnished with abilities for that place? And if a magistrate in darkness, and spiritually blind and dead, be fit to judge of light, of truth, and error? And whether such be fit for the place of the magistracy?' Such are specimens of the kind of questions addressed by Baptists to the consideration of the Assembly of Divines, at the period of which we write. It is scarcely surprising that, among the most grievous heresies of the day, Anabaptism was hence regarded as of singular malignity. The following extract from a title page of the period will speak for itself: Anabaptisme the true Fountaine of Independency, Brownisme, Antinomy, Familism, and the most of the other Errours which for the time doe trouble the Church of England, Unsealed, &c., &c., &c. By Robert Baillie, Minister at Glasgow. 1647.' This work, dedicated to the Right Hon. the Earl of Lauderdail' and others, is an attempt to confound the Anabaptists of that day with the abettors of the outrages and abominations of Münster. One of their enormities is thus held up to horror'They are a people very zealous of liberty, and most unwilling to be under the bondage of any other."-Miall's Footsteps of our Forefathers.

TOBIAS THE YOUNGER; or, THE WAY TO DIE.-A PARABLE." And when Tobias the younger had become old and well stricken in years, he was visited by a severe illness, so much so that it became evident that the time of his departure was near at hand. His son Azarias, who stood weeping by the bed-side, was deeply pained to witness the sufferings that his dearly beloved father underwent. Tobias, however, was calm; no note of complaint escaped his lips; for his soul was filled with gladness, and his countenance brightened up whenever for a moment the pains ceased. Then said Azarias:

Ah, my dear father, you cannot imagine how astonished I am. In the midst of such excruciating pains and in view of death, I behold you tranquil and joyous.' And Tobias answered and said: You will recollect, my son, that I have often related to you how, at my father's bidding, I made, when young, a journey to a land called Meden. Well, then, after I had faithfully performed the duties assigned me by my father, the hour when I was to return to

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